Community concern after a town's historic gun emplacements fenced off
The Anti-Aircraft Gun Emplacements, which are the only known of their type in NSW, were erected in World War II to protect local industry, including the Small Arms Factory in Lithgow in the Central Tablelands.
The guns were never used but over time became a point of interest in local history in the Lithgow local government area.
On August 8, Lithgow City Council announced the emplacements were temporarily fenced off due to safety risks identified after an incident.
"An incident at the Anti-Aircraft Gun Emplacements was the subject of an insurance claim against Council," A Council Spokesperson told The Lithgow Mercury.
"The decision to temporarily fence off the emplacements was made in response to a public safety risk assessment, which identified significant safety risks that need to be mitigated.
"A risk and options assessment was undertaken by the Council. The assessment report recommended that the safety risks present at the site should be urgently mitigated while a long-term plan is developed and implemented."
According to the spokesperson, fencing around the emplacements is a temporary safety and preservation measure, but a more permanent solution is still being determined.
"Temporary fencing around each of the Gun Emplacements has been installed until Council can take action to reduce or control the risks, without modifying the valuable and unique historical assets," The spokesperson said.
"The Council will work with individuals and groups who seek access to the Gun Emplacements for memorial or research purposes on a controlled, case-by-case basis."
The community responded to the temporary fencing on social media with concerns about accessing the historic relics, and a petition with almost 500 signatures (at the time of publishing) for residents to have a say in the future accessibility of the site.
The council spokesperson said residents will be consulted before any permanent action is taken at the site.
"Lithgow Council understands the community's concerns and frustrations about this decision, but wishes to reiterate that it has been done in the interest of public safety and to ensure Council's Duty of Care for the community," The spokesperson said.
"Council will consult with residents on a fencing solution until the Council can undertake action to mitigate the safety risks at the site."
A regional council has responded to community concerns surrounding the fencing of historic Anti-Aircraft Gun Emplacements.
The Anti-Aircraft Gun Emplacements, which are the only known of their type in NSW, were erected in World War II to protect local industry, including the Small Arms Factory in Lithgow in the Central Tablelands.
The guns were never used but over time became a point of interest in local history in the Lithgow local government area.
On August 8, Lithgow City Council announced the emplacements were temporarily fenced off due to safety risks identified after an incident.
"An incident at the Anti-Aircraft Gun Emplacements was the subject of an insurance claim against Council," A Council Spokesperson told The Lithgow Mercury.
"The decision to temporarily fence off the emplacements was made in response to a public safety risk assessment, which identified significant safety risks that need to be mitigated.
"A risk and options assessment was undertaken by the Council. The assessment report recommended that the safety risks present at the site should be urgently mitigated while a long-term plan is developed and implemented."
According to the spokesperson, fencing around the emplacements is a temporary safety and preservation measure, but a more permanent solution is still being determined.
"Temporary fencing around each of the Gun Emplacements has been installed until Council can take action to reduce or control the risks, without modifying the valuable and unique historical assets," The spokesperson said.
"The Council will work with individuals and groups who seek access to the Gun Emplacements for memorial or research purposes on a controlled, case-by-case basis."
The community responded to the temporary fencing on social media with concerns about accessing the historic relics, and a petition with almost 500 signatures (at the time of publishing) for residents to have a say in the future accessibility of the site.
The council spokesperson said residents will be consulted before any permanent action is taken at the site.
"Lithgow Council understands the community's concerns and frustrations about this decision, but wishes to reiterate that it has been done in the interest of public safety and to ensure Council's Duty of Care for the community," The spokesperson said.
"Council will consult with residents on a fencing solution until the Council can undertake action to mitigate the safety risks at the site."
A regional council has responded to community concerns surrounding the fencing of historic Anti-Aircraft Gun Emplacements.
The Anti-Aircraft Gun Emplacements, which are the only known of their type in NSW, were erected in World War II to protect local industry, including the Small Arms Factory in Lithgow in the Central Tablelands.
The guns were never used but over time became a point of interest in local history in the Lithgow local government area.
On August 8, Lithgow City Council announced the emplacements were temporarily fenced off due to safety risks identified after an incident.
"An incident at the Anti-Aircraft Gun Emplacements was the subject of an insurance claim against Council," A Council Spokesperson told The Lithgow Mercury.
"The decision to temporarily fence off the emplacements was made in response to a public safety risk assessment, which identified significant safety risks that need to be mitigated.
"A risk and options assessment was undertaken by the Council. The assessment report recommended that the safety risks present at the site should be urgently mitigated while a long-term plan is developed and implemented."
According to the spokesperson, fencing around the emplacements is a temporary safety and preservation measure, but a more permanent solution is still being determined.
"Temporary fencing around each of the Gun Emplacements has been installed until Council can take action to reduce or control the risks, without modifying the valuable and unique historical assets," The spokesperson said.
"The Council will work with individuals and groups who seek access to the Gun Emplacements for memorial or research purposes on a controlled, case-by-case basis."
The community responded to the temporary fencing on social media with concerns about accessing the historic relics, and a petition with almost 500 signatures (at the time of publishing) for residents to have a say in the future accessibility of the site.
The council spokesperson said residents will be consulted before any permanent action is taken at the site.
"Lithgow Council understands the community's concerns and frustrations about this decision, but wishes to reiterate that it has been done in the interest of public safety and to ensure Council's Duty of Care for the community," The spokesperson said.
"Council will consult with residents on a fencing solution until the Council can undertake action to mitigate the safety risks at the site."
A regional council has responded to community concerns surrounding the fencing of historic Anti-Aircraft Gun Emplacements.
The Anti-Aircraft Gun Emplacements, which are the only known of their type in NSW, were erected in World War II to protect local industry, including the Small Arms Factory in Lithgow in the Central Tablelands.
The guns were never used but over time became a point of interest in local history in the Lithgow local government area.
On August 8, Lithgow City Council announced the emplacements were temporarily fenced off due to safety risks identified after an incident.
"An incident at the Anti-Aircraft Gun Emplacements was the subject of an insurance claim against Council," A Council Spokesperson told The Lithgow Mercury.
"The decision to temporarily fence off the emplacements was made in response to a public safety risk assessment, which identified significant safety risks that need to be mitigated.
"A risk and options assessment was undertaken by the Council. The assessment report recommended that the safety risks present at the site should be urgently mitigated while a long-term plan is developed and implemented."
According to the spokesperson, fencing around the emplacements is a temporary safety and preservation measure, but a more permanent solution is still being determined.
"Temporary fencing around each of the Gun Emplacements has been installed until Council can take action to reduce or control the risks, without modifying the valuable and unique historical assets," The spokesperson said.
"The Council will work with individuals and groups who seek access to the Gun Emplacements for memorial or research purposes on a controlled, case-by-case basis."
The community responded to the temporary fencing on social media with concerns about accessing the historic relics, and a petition with almost 500 signatures (at the time of publishing) for residents to have a say in the future accessibility of the site.
The council spokesperson said residents will be consulted before any permanent action is taken at the site.
"Lithgow Council understands the community's concerns and frustrations about this decision, but wishes to reiterate that it has been done in the interest of public safety and to ensure Council's Duty of Care for the community," The spokesperson said.
"Council will consult with residents on a fencing solution until the Council can undertake action to mitigate the safety risks at the site."
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Putin in 2024 stated his demands for stopping the war - the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the parts of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions that they still control, an area now of about 21,000 sq km. Putin also said Kyiv would have to officially notify Moscow that it was abandoning its plans to join NATO, and it intended to remain neutral and non-aligned. Ukraine says these terms are tantamount to asking it to capitulate. US President Donald Trump has departed Washington aboard Air Force One to head to a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska for discussions about a possible ceasefire deal for Ukraine. Trump was accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, as well as other top aides, the White House said on Friday. "HIGH STAKES!!!" Trump wrote on his social media platform before leaving the White House for a trip the US sees as a possible way to end the deadliest war in Europe since World War II. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was not invited to the talks, and his European allies fear Trump might sell out Ukraine by essentially freezing the conflict and recognising - if only informally - Russian control over one-fifth of Ukraine. Both Trump and Putin are seeking wins from their first face-to-face talks since Trump returned to the White House. Trump, who casts the war as a "bloodbath" fraught with escalatory risk, is pressing for a truce in the three-and-a-half-year-old war that would bolster his credentials as worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. For Putin, the summit is already a big win as he can use it to say that years of Western attempts to isolate Russia have unravelled and that Moscow has retaken its rightful place at the top table of international diplomacy. The summit, the first between a US and Russian leader since 2021, will begin at 11am on Friday (5am on Saturday AEST) at a Cold War-era air force base. Trump, who once said he would end Russia's war in Ukraine within 24 hours, conceded on Thursday it had proven a tougher nut to crack than he had thought. He said if Friday's talks went well, quickly setting up a subsequent three-way summit with Zelenskiy would be even more important than his encounter with Putin. A source acquainted with Kremlin thinking said there were signs Moscow could be ready to strike a compromise on Ukraine given Putin understood Russia's economic vulnerability and costs of continuing the war. Ukraine and its European allies were heartened by a call on Wednesday in which they said Trump had agreed Ukraine must be involved in any talks about ceding land. Zelenskiy said Trump had also supported the idea of security guarantees for Kyiv. Russia, whose war economy is showing signs of strain, is vulnerable to additional US sanctions - and Trump has threatened tariffs on buyers of Russian crude, primarily China and India. The day before the summit, Putin held out the prospect of something else he knows Trump wants - a new nuclear arms control agreement to replace the last surviving one, which is due to expire in February 2026. Trump said on the eve of the summit that he thought Putin would do a deal on Ukraine, but he has blown hot and cold on the chances of a breakthrough. Putin has so far voiced stringent conditions for a full ceasefire, but one compromise could be a truce in the air war. Putin has said he is open to a ceasefire but has repeatedly said the issues of verification need to be sorted out first. Zelenskiy has accused Putin of playing for time to avoid US secondary sanctions and has ruled out formally handing Moscow any territory. Trump has said land transfers could be a possible way of breaking the logjam. Beyond territory, Ukraine has been clear in talks with Western allies that it needs a security guarantee backed by Washington. Putin in 2024 stated his demands for stopping the war - the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the parts of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions that they still control, an area now of about 21,000 sq km. Putin also said Kyiv would have to officially notify Moscow that it was abandoning its plans to join NATO, and it intended to remain neutral and non-aligned. Ukraine says these terms are tantamount to asking it to capitulate. US President Donald Trump has departed Washington aboard Air Force One to head to a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska for discussions about a possible ceasefire deal for Ukraine. Trump was accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, as well as other top aides, the White House said on Friday. "HIGH STAKES!!!" Trump wrote on his social media platform before leaving the White House for a trip the US sees as a possible way to end the deadliest war in Europe since World War II. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was not invited to the talks, and his European allies fear Trump might sell out Ukraine by essentially freezing the conflict and recognising - if only informally - Russian control over one-fifth of Ukraine. Both Trump and Putin are seeking wins from their first face-to-face talks since Trump returned to the White House. Trump, who casts the war as a "bloodbath" fraught with escalatory risk, is pressing for a truce in the three-and-a-half-year-old war that would bolster his credentials as worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. For Putin, the summit is already a big win as he can use it to say that years of Western attempts to isolate Russia have unravelled and that Moscow has retaken its rightful place at the top table of international diplomacy. The summit, the first between a US and Russian leader since 2021, will begin at 11am on Friday (5am on Saturday AEST) at a Cold War-era air force base. Trump, who once said he would end Russia's war in Ukraine within 24 hours, conceded on Thursday it had proven a tougher nut to crack than he had thought. He said if Friday's talks went well, quickly setting up a subsequent three-way summit with Zelenskiy would be even more important than his encounter with Putin. A source acquainted with Kremlin thinking said there were signs Moscow could be ready to strike a compromise on Ukraine given Putin understood Russia's economic vulnerability and costs of continuing the war. Ukraine and its European allies were heartened by a call on Wednesday in which they said Trump had agreed Ukraine must be involved in any talks about ceding land. Zelenskiy said Trump had also supported the idea of security guarantees for Kyiv. Russia, whose war economy is showing signs of strain, is vulnerable to additional US sanctions - and Trump has threatened tariffs on buyers of Russian crude, primarily China and India. The day before the summit, Putin held out the prospect of something else he knows Trump wants - a new nuclear arms control agreement to replace the last surviving one, which is due to expire in February 2026. Trump said on the eve of the summit that he thought Putin would do a deal on Ukraine, but he has blown hot and cold on the chances of a breakthrough. Putin has so far voiced stringent conditions for a full ceasefire, but one compromise could be a truce in the air war. Putin has said he is open to a ceasefire but has repeatedly said the issues of verification need to be sorted out first. Zelenskiy has accused Putin of playing for time to avoid US secondary sanctions and has ruled out formally handing Moscow any territory. Trump has said land transfers could be a possible way of breaking the logjam. Beyond territory, Ukraine has been clear in talks with Western allies that it needs a security guarantee backed by Washington. Putin in 2024 stated his demands for stopping the war - the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the parts of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions that they still control, an area now of about 21,000 sq km. Putin also said Kyiv would have to officially notify Moscow that it was abandoning its plans to join NATO, and it intended to remain neutral and non-aligned. Ukraine says these terms are tantamount to asking it to capitulate.
